U. came to law in mid-career. He did not get his doctorate until 1501, after having served as city-clerk and director of the Latin school of Freiburg in Breisgau. In 1505, he became professor of law at the university of Freiburg, where his teaching in the humanist style was an instant success. In doing this he anticipated Alciati; his contemporary Budé also took a humanist approach to law but did not attempt to teach prospective lawyers. U. was deeply involved in the reform of the city laws of Freiburg in 1520. He corresponded with Luther but remained a Catholic. Most of his legal works were published posthumously by his son and his students, but an edition of the De substitutionibus (TUI 1584 t. 8.2) was published in Freiburg in 1532.